Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: C-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs), which belong to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, are evolutionarily conserved kinases that mediate cell responses to various types of extracellular stress insults. They regulate physiological processes such as embryonic development and tissue regeneration, playing roles in cell proliferation and programmed cell death. JNK signaling is also involved in tumorigenesis and progression of several types of malignancies. Recent studies have shown that JNK signaling has crucial roles in regulating the traits of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here we describe the functions of the JNK signaling pathway in self-renewal and differentiation, which are essential features of various types of stem cells, such as embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult tissue-specific stem cells. We also review current knowledge of JNK signaling in CSCs and discuss its role in maintaining the CSC phenotype. A better understanding of JNK signaling as an essential regulator of stemness may provide a basis for the development of regenerative medicine and new therapeutic strategies against malignant tumors.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072613
Language: English
Topic: Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,112
Awards: Targeted Therapeutic Drug Discovery & Development Program, G447206287, G52711424, Enhancing anti-EGFR Therapeutic Efficacy in Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Regulation of eEF-2K an Energy and Nutrient Sensor, G7628471067, Targeting BRAF- and RAS-Mutant Cancers by Small Molecule-Induced Proteolysis of ERK1/2, G9000191919
OpenAlex ID: W3015997124